From the Guardian yesterday: As convener of the group that coined the term Green New Deal, I would like to contest Adair Turner’s view that we should not overstate its job generating potential (Climate change watchdog backs expansion of Heathrow, November 27). The numbers depend on the amount of investment put into turning Britain into Read the Rest…

The following editorial with the above title appeared in the Guardian this morning: “We don’t pay taxes. Only the little people pay taxes,” the American billionaire Leona Helmsley is meant to have said. Tax evasion earned her a prison sentence and pariah status. So why do world leaders tolerate those international equivalents of Leona Helmsley, Read the Rest…

These are my links for November 28th: NHS Blog Doctor: More gutter journalism from the Taxpayers' Alliance – Should irritate you for a while FT.com / UK / Business – UK’s company directors likeliest to reach 65 – Stress is good for you Low pay is not Another argument for progressive taxation

The Tax Factor Gordon Brown’s raising some taxes and cutting others to kick-start Britain’s economy, but does he know how critical tax is in the long-term fight against global poverty? Tax is the key We believe poor countries should be able to use their own wealth and resources to help them work their own way Read the Rest…

This from Accounting Evidence Limited (who I recommend): The Serious Organised Crime Agency has recently published its annual report on the operation of the Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) regime. The report covers the year ended 30 September 2008. There is an immense amount of detail in the report – rather too much to go into Read the Rest…

Alastair Darling has announced his independent review of British offshore financial centres. Over the last few weeks traffic on the site from Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man has been very high. The message has been consistent. Those who support the financial services industry in these places say they are well regulated, transparent, fully Read the Rest…

There’s a strange article on offshore in Accountancy Age this week. It begins with a summary of recent attacks on tax havens, quoting me extensively saying: Richard Murphy, an offshore tax expert and director of Tax Research LLP, is a vocal critic of offshore tax havens. He reckons these tax havens and their advisory services Read the Rest…

As the FT has reported today: Considering it came less than two months after the last occasion when thousands of UBS shareholders assembled to hear about the Swiss banking group’s woes, Thursday’s special meeting in Lucerne held more information than might have been expected. The 2,395 investors gathered in a dingy suburban hall and heard Read the Rest…